Slayer Story
by Seryna RPC
Summary: As the Slayer and the Scoobies made a decision to fight the First by creating an Army of Slayers, two girls ignorant of that battle were called. As they define who they are, a mistake makes them the target of an unstable enemy. This is their story.
1. Chapter 1: Enter Wonderland

_Tuesday night_

_The Cemetery_

The sound of crumbling granite lifted dust into the air. Even as the headstone fell to the ground, its former occupant launched a dizzying attack at the young woman facing the grave. The lone spectator winced in sympathy as the fight escalated into a frenzied exchange of blows. A powerful front kick was evaded, leaving the young woman open for the tremendous uppercut that sent the brunette crashing to the ground.

"Get up!" Ashley chided, hurrying towards the fallen girl. She was unheeded by the vampire, who was already streaking away from them.

"He's getting away!"

"Ya think?" Retorted the combatant, who took a moment to slick a stray strand of hair back into her slick ponytail. "Punk kicked my stake- see where it went?"

"Uh…" Less confident than her companion, she navigated the open grave more carefully. "Heads up!"

The Slayer was already loping after the vampire and caught the stake with easy grace. Ashley didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of catching up to the pair, but she tried gamely.

"So yours turned out to actually _be_ a vamp?" An older guy- just two or so years older than Ashley herself- cut across the cemetery towards her. He easily pushed 6 feet, with a casual confidence that tended to make Ashley's eyes gravitate towards him. She was less than enthused to see the pretty and petite woman in the bulky sweater walking aside a lanky, tall girl just behind Mike. He came complete with sister and girlfriend, no kung fu grip.

"Goddamn sumbitch tore my sweater." Joliene cut across Ashley's response as she swung in from the opposite direction. She exchanged a knowing look to Vicky, Mike's younger sister, but received a disappointed glance in return.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Babe, I have that thing." Janna deferred. Mike glanced at her, but then to his sister to make sure that she could make it. Ashley marked that flare in Janna's eyes gleefully- and then quickly dropped her gaze when Janna's dark eyes flicked towards her own baby blues.

Mike made noises about driving everyone home and Ashley was the only one to turn it down. She'd seen that look in Janna's eyes and didn't look forward to possibly having a conversation about it- ever.

"Any spooky shit happens, run like hell. Don't be the dumb blond."

"No dumb blonds. Check." She was dish water blonde, anyway.

Not thirty seconds later, she was already regretting her choice. Walking alone through a cemetery is creepy enough. Walking about one when you know that vampires might pop out of a grave for a midnight snack just compounds things.

A low noise attracted her attention, as startling as an ice water dousing. She steadily moved backwards, not daring to make much noise. No hello-ing anything in the dark for her, thank you very much. Her breath came in quick gasps as she heard a rustling- behind her. She whirled about, but couldn't see a damn thing but darkness.

"Kendra- wait-"

The rustling quickly became apparent as someone slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.

"You're not Kendra!"

"Ow…" Was all Ashley managed, slowly clambering to her feet. "You play powderpuff or something?"

"What? No! Have you seen a blond…" The girl suddenly stopped speaking, turning away to study the cemetery. Ashley's eyes widened as she took the girl's appearance in. Disheveled auburn hair was falling out of her ponytail, dirt was practically caked on her hands- her face gave Ashley the most pause. The girl didn't seem aware of being observed, with her head cocked at an odd angle- she seemed to be listening.

"Won't help a bit; creep factor makes mountains out of molehills out here. Are you alright? You're bleeding-"

"Am I?" The girl ran the back of her hand across her mouth, looking surprised to find blood glistening on her skin.

"Can-"

A sudden darting motion sent a jolt through the stranger, causing her to start jogging after the sounds of crashing underbrush.

"Wait!" Ashley cried, starting after her. "Why chase after something in a frickin' cemetery, are you crazy?"

_Wednesday afternoon,_

_School Parking Lot_

"Bet that went over well." Vicky gave Ashley a sympathetic glance. That next afternoon, Ashley had brought Joliene & Vicky together after school to tell of her weird encounter with the bleeding brunette the night before.

"Don't even think she heard me, she just took off."

"And this is part of our 'weird with a beard' club why?" Joliene muttered, tossing Ashley an annoyed glance.

"Trust me." Ashley insisted. "It was something for the weird club."

A car honked- Mike had come to pick them up from school. Already a freshman in the local state college, he'd insisted on training three times a week at his apartment for the last week. In ten minutes, everyone- minus Janna- were gathered in Mike's apartment.

"I'm not feeling it." Joliene blew out a puff of air.

"Just try it. Breathe- jab- breathe-"

"Mike, I don't think a book about kung fu teaches kung fu. I think you need to actually you know- kung fu."

"Okay." Mike closed the book and tossed it aside. "You two fight."  
"What?"

"Finally!"

While Vicky was still glancing at her brother in confusion, her fellow Slayer jumped onto the low coffee table to shoot an elevated kick at Vicky's face. The younger Slayer stumbled back as Joliene jumped across the table- and Vicky seized her by her shoulders, spinning to slam her into the wall. Dark hair flew as their blows glanced off of each others faces- most of them glancing off of blocking forearms.

Joliene broke the momentum with a straight leg kick to Vicky's abdomen, sending her flying back. Ashley was there playing with Mike's Louisville Slugger- and Vicky was off again, swinging widely at Joliene's head. Joliene evaded the attack, ducking around to kick Vicky in the small of the back. Vicky fell forward into a somersault as Joliene prepared for a punch- and Vicky turned and jabbed her in the face with the bat.

"Ow!"

"Okay, stop." Mike called, stepping between the girls. "Not bad- Jo, nice improv off that first kick. Vicky- bats a nice touch. Could snap it and kill her- if she was, you know, actually a vamp- but both of you were too punchy."

"It was a fight."

"I kicked her ass."

"Hey!" Vicky protested. "I was the one with the killing instrument. What were you gonna do, pummel to ash?"

"She has a point, Jo-"

"Hey guys." Ashley interrupted, having quit watching the fight to Google. "Remember how that girl was looking for Kendra?"

"Not a good time, Ashley." Mike said shortly.

Ashley inwardly winced, but continued unabashed. "Kendra Wiley disappeared one week ago. Presumed dead." That got the others attention as they gathered around the computer.

"She was our age. Eighteen."

"Your age." Vicky, who was sixteen, corrected.

"So what do we think? Friend was looking for her friend in a cemetery? Kinda morbid."

"Let's find out more." Mike, the unofficial leader, decided. "She went to your school- look her up tomorrow. I'll tap a source at work."

Mike was pursuing a degree in criminology- and had an internship with 'troubled kids' under more experienced sociologists and police officers. Hopefully, he'd turn up something more than a clip in the local paper.


	2. Chapter 2: The Easy Way

Thursday

_Thursday_

_School cafeteria_

The next day, lunch hour had Joliene and Ashley eating together.

"You find out about her?"

"Yeah. Easy." Joliene was nonchalant as she prodded her vegetable matter half heartedly. Annoyed at being kept waiting, Ashley pressed the point.

"Easiest way." You over think things, Ash."

"What? You said you slept with her boyfriend and need the name of her clinic?"

Joliene didn't rise to the bait, setting down her fork and starting in on the Taco Salad. "No. said the bitch owed me money. Anyway, she was a real crackpot. She's a foster kid at St. Michaels-" She referred to the only local youth group that took girls. "- apparently her parents were killed and it traumatized her. She's in therapy and everything."

"How'd you figure that out?"

"Girl I know had detention with Mrs. Kelsy- that's right next to the counselor's office. Counselor was talking about how sad it all was and everything."

"Okay, where does she live?"

"What, like I know?"

"You're a delinquent. Don't you have tracks into student records?"

"What about you? You're a straight arrow."

"What, because I actually show up for class? Doesn't make me a hacker."

"Well, I just thought…" Jo trailed off, but Ashley didn't like the look in her eye.

"Thought what?"

"That you had to be good at something."

With a put upon sigh, Ashley headed towards the office. If you want something done right…

_Thursday Night_

_Cemetery_

"So she's a missing wack job." Mike's eyebrows found a new region in his forehead. "That's a plus how?"

"It really isn't."  
"Great. We need to find this chick before something eats her."

A few minutes later, they found themselves following a trail through the woods that framed the cemetery. As the dark closed in over them, Jo suddenly stiffened.

"What?" Ashley whispered, only to be shushed. Jo half turned, studying the way behind them. "What!"

"Shut up!" Joliene shoved past Ashley roughly, jogging back the way that they'd come. "What's up with her?" Mike asked, trampling over to where Ashley stood. "She just freaked out. A crack pot hunting a-"

"There's fighting!" Vicky jostled past them.

"Are Slayers like dogs?" Ashley grumbled as she and Mike loped after the much faster girl.

A high paced fight _had_ erupted in the cemetery- Joliene was kicked into a nearby grave and tumbled to the ground. Vicky leapt in to aid her, aiming an open palm into the vampire's nose. Her head snapped back as the brunette followed up with a roundhouse kick, knocking the vampire away from Joliene. Then Joliene was back into it, hurtling herself bodily at the vampire and tackling it to the ground. In the few minutes that she was pinned down, one could see that she was a brunette woman- a young woman really, didn't look much older than her teens. Her natural eye color was obscured behind the malevolent glare of the demon in her body. Her head came up suddenly, smashing into Joliene's face. Joliene seized her head and was kicked aside.

Vicky leapt forward- but the vampire seized her by the arm and contorted it into an unnatural position. Vicky screamed as she was brought to her knees, her arm contorted behind her back.

"Hey!" Mike yelled, racing up- and a simple backhand from the vampire knocked him to the ground. Wincing in sympathy, Ashley crouched beside him. His cheek was puffy already, but he'd be alright. Which was more than-

-Vicky screamed as the vampire wrenched her arm. "You smell of her." The vampire hissed. "You've been with her. Where is she?"

"Who?" Ashley wondered, hauling Mike up from the ground. "Stop hurting her!"

"My child. My sister, my family…"

"Let her go!" Ashley insisted, racing forward. Vicky's face was paling, pinched with pain. " I said-"

The vampire's other hand was suddenly around Ashley's throat. Breathing was impossible. Pain seemed to course through her as her lungs screamed for air. She kicked feebly- and then collapsed onto the ground.

Mike was clubbing the vampire on the back with his bat- and then just like that, the bat was gone and the vampire was on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Joliene leaped onto the vampire's back, wrestling her off of Mike. Flipping up to her feet, she kicked the vampire away from Mike and Ashley and then kicked again just as savagely. Her next kick met the kneeling vampire's ribs, kicking her across the grass.

"Not fair, going after the sidekicks." She snarled, stomping at the vampires exposed hand. With a snarl, the vampire sprang forward. Colliding with Joliene, she slammed her back against a nearby headstone. Feral in her fighting, she slammed the dark skinned girls head back against the headstone repeatedly.

The _FWWWPT_ of electricity cut through the air. Stiffly the vampire released Joliene and stumbled away, jerkily. Ashley followed it with her Taser, preparing for another jolt. Before she could, the vampire was already moving- straight at her. The Taser fell harmlessly as the vampire slapped Ashley aside. The girl fell heavily on her side, wincing in pain.

"Stop!" A woman screamed- Ashley looked up jus in time to see a blond woman collide with Janna. Where had Janna come from? Stumbling to their feet, the group surrounded Janna in preparation to go after the vampire again- and realized that this wasn't her.

"That's not a vampire." Ashley breathed, her eyes already on the horrible thing in Janna's hand. The blond gaped wordlessly as Janna gasped, nearly hyperventilating. Janna released the knife that she'd stabbed into the blonde's stomach. Blood pooled from the wound, the same blood that glittered darkly onto Janna's outstretched hand. The blonde's hands closed over the knife as she doubled over, falling to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3: Everything's changing

"Oh my god." Janna was wheezing. She stumbled forward and Mike wrapped her into his arms, his own face white with shock. Ashley fell beside the blonde girl, placing her hands around the knife to staunch the flow of blood. The blond felt… cold. Wrong, somehow. As Ashley shuddered, the blond gripped the knife in her bloody hand.

"No-" The blond disregarded the shocked outcry and drew out the knife from her body, dropping it to the ground. "I'll be okay." She managed weakly, stumbling to her feet. Vicky helped her to stand, her face ashen.

"No, you shouldn't have taken out the- come on, lets get you to the hospital-"

"I saw the fight." Janna whispered. "I thought she was going to kill me. The vampire."

"My god." Ashley gasped. "It's Kendra."

"You know me?" The blond looked surprised. "There was a stronger one here- I was trying to get to her-"

"She means the vampire." Mike marveled. "Why would you-"

"Not the time, Mike." Ashley cut in. "She's been stabbed. She needs medical attention."

"So does she." As Kendra looked to Vicky, they realized that the arm of her sweater was soaked with blood.

"It's nothing." Vicky protested. "Just the vampire-"

"Why was she chasing-" Mike turned to ask Kendra, only to find that she was picking up the bloody knife. Besides holding a hand to her abdomen, she wasn't acting grievously hurt.

"What are you doing- you've been stabbed-"

"It doesn't hurt as much as it used to." Kendra waved off the concerned hands. "You too?" She looked to Vicky. "Stronger now."

Blank expressions met the blond over Janna's traumatized wheezing. It was Joliene who understood.

She swore. "She's a damn Slayer, too."

"Slay her?" Kendra pondered, stepping towards Joliene.

"No, Slayer. This happened what- a week or so ago?"

"Yes." The blonde nodded. "I was changed a week ago."

"And your guts bleeding all over-"

"Heals." Kendra said calmly. "Heals faster. You know. You slay her too."

"Slayer." Mike said excitedly. "You mean that you're not gonna- not gonna-"

"Die." Joliene said flatly.

The blond only stared back at Joliene for a minute, silent. Wordlessly, she began to run from them.

"Wait!"

Despite being grievously injured, she loped off as though she was a star cross country runner. Joliene started after her, but Ashley caught her arm.

"Vicky." She whispered, nodding to Vicky's bleeding and awkwardly bent arm. "We need you here."

Joliene took in the severity of Vicky's wound- and Janna's inconsolable state- and wordlessly agreed.

_Hospital_

"An open fracture." Mike explained Vicky's injuries, rejoining them in the waiting room. "She'll be fine." He seemed to be speaking to Janna, who had become silent since the cemetery.

"I can't believe…"

"You thought it was a vampire." Ashley said, impatient with Janna's behavior. "You had no idea that it was a Slayer."

"You passive aggressive bitch-" Janna lunged at Ashley, who stepped back. Alarmed, Mike grasped Janna's arm.

"Hey." Vicky said quietly, coming up beside them. Her arm was in a sling and it was clear that the setting had been painful from Vicky's drained voice.

"It was a bad night, okay. Can we just go?"

"I'll get you home." Mike placed a protective arm across his sister's back, guiding her out towards the parking lot. "My place before school." He said behind him, not looking at the other women.

With a savage glare at Ashley, Janna stalked out of the hospital angrily. Joliene and Ashley started into the night together, not speaking for a long time.

"You can go." Ashley suggested as they neared her two story house. "You don't live around here, do you?"

"No." Joliene said shortly. "But you keep finding trouble."

"What is your problem?" Ashley flung out, exhausted, sore and in no mood for Joliene's barbs.

"You walk through cemeteries alone, meet crazy vampires. Get a thing for Mike, get his girlfriend onto your game."

"What?" Her face burned. "I don't have a-"

"I don't care." Joliene said shortly. "I really have bigger things on my plate than your little crush."

"Then why the fuck are you here?"

"We have two hot chicks on our team. One's hurt- and I'm what's left. Janna can take care of herself."

"And I can't?"

Joliene didn't reply, fueling Ashley's slow burn. When they reached her house, she unlocked the door and strode inside without a word of goodbye to the perplexing Slayer on her front porch.

Just a few blocks away, Janna stalked towards her mother's house. She ought to go to her own apartment where she lived with Mike, but she didn't want t deal with it. She didn't want to deal with all the little girls he'd invited into their house, the early morning hash the next day, or that passive aggressive bitch making eyes at Mike. She didn't want to deal with the fact that she could've killed someone tonight. If she hadn't been a Slayer- one of these blessed bitches that were seriously starting to make her feel inadequate- than she'd be a murderer.

Janna should have seen the figure standing in the shadows on the porch. Should have detected the eyes upon her with that female intuition grown from walking urban streets alone at night. In her emotional turmoil, she didn't realize that she was in trouble until cold hands closed on her shoulders.

"Janna?"

Janna started, stepping back before she recognized the woman behind her.

"Kendra?"

"Shh…" The woman smiled, her white teeth glinting- then something struck Janna on the back of the head. She crumpled into Kendra's waiting arms.

"Come to mommy…" The mentally disturbed woman whispered to the night.


	4. Chapter 4: False Pretenses

"Just when you thought your neck was finally safe…" There was a giggle as Janna opened her eyes

There was a giggle as Janna opened her eyes. Immediately she panicked when she discovered that her arms were bound to a chair. Struggling futilely, she turned to see where the speaker was.

"That's cheap." Someone lectured from the darkened space behind her. Janna took in the bare bulb above her head, the vast expanses of blackness around her. It felt damp- as though she may be in a basement. Her heart began to hammer within her breast.

"There we go…" The unknown speaker purred, coming up close. Janna gave a start as a woman's face came out of the darkness- all glinting vampire teeth and demonic eyes. It was the vampire that had fought them in the cemetery. Janna redoubled her efforts to escape, which made the brunette giggle.

Someone else stepped into the light and Janna recognized Kendra's straight, glossy blond locks. "Its her!" Janna cried out. "The vampire you were looking for. She's the reason I…"

"The reason you what?" The brunette was there, seizing Janna's hair and wrenching her head.

"What did you do, you little-"

"Kelly." Kendra barked and her grip on Janna was immediately released.

"I wanted her to say it." Kelly wheedled, the tone of her voice- so desperately seeking approval- made Janna's skin crawl. "I just wanted it from her lips."

"She'll say it. She'll scream it."

"Please…" Janna whispered, her fear enveloping her. "What do you want?"

"You." The missing Slayer caressed Janna's cheek, the unnatural coldness of it catching Janna's breath. "We want you to join us."

"Join… you…?"

"Then you're strong friends." Kelly said gleefully, sweeping out of Janna's sight. "The strongest for our family!"

"No!" Kelly snapped, anger making her word crack like a whip.

"I want them." That sniveling voice crawled into Janna's brain, making her squint her eyes closed as the women argued around her. "You said we needed the strongest for our family, Kendra. You promised we'd be made whole."

"I know…" Kendra's voice was sweet now, warm and cloying. "We will. Starting with her."

That cold touch was on her cheek again and Janna's eyes opened, terrified at the touch- and even more terrified at what stared down at her. The maniacal, demonic eyes weren't staring out of Kelly's face- they were staring out of Kendra's.

The vampire Slayer who was a vampire leaned forward, her lips brushing Janna's neck.

"Don't worry, we won't make you wait … you'll be joining us now."

Kendra leaned forward, brushing Janna's hair from her neck. Janna thrashed in a wild attempt to escape. Her wrists were rubbed raw as she twisted and pulled at the rope that bound her, but to no avail. "No!" She cried out once and then seemed to lose control. Screams tore from her throat, drawing out and becoming wordless expressions of terror. Kelly stood this for nearly two minutes, then seized Janna by the back of her neck and shook her harshly.

"Ungrateful pig!" She hissed. "You're being given a gift and this is how you behave?"

"Gently." Kendra chided, pulling Kelly's hands from Janna. Janna's chest heaved, her breathing labored from the earlier screaming. Tears welled behind her eyes, but she battled to blink them back. Crying wouldn't get her out of this. No matter how fiercely she chided herself, a solitary tear trekked down her cheek.

"Poor girl…" Kendra murmured, her cold hand wiping the traitorous tear away. Wincing away from her touch, Janna noticed the dark gleam in Kelly's eye as Kendra fussed over her. Could it be- the vampire felt jealously?

The vampires moved away from their captive, bickering amongst each other. Janna found it difficult to listen to their low murmurings and disturbing mentions of family. Attempting to remain alert for their return, the bound woman craned her head to take in her predicament. Her earlier exertions had coated her in a light coat of sweat that was now chilling her in the damp air. She was nearly certain that they were in some sort of basement or cellar- the darkness seemed to press in on her from all sides.

Pulling until her arms ached did little to free her arms. Despair welled within her, but she plowed through it, forcing herself to concentrate on a means of freeing herself. Although she couldn't find the well placed protruding nail that the heroines in movies always seemed to find, she took heart that she was still alive. Kendra seemed put off by her rejection of vampirism- perhaps it might keep her alive for a little bit until rescue came. That the pool her rescuers would be drawn from was the bratty Joliene, passive aggressive Ashley, formerly meek Vicky and her own boyfriend, Mike, whom had transformed into someone she hardly recognized wasn't reassuring at all.

Her breathing was returning to normal, her thought processes relaxing from their frantic escape attempts. Disgusted with herself, she couldn't believe that she'd gotten herself in this clusterfuck. Storming out of that hospital like a scorned starlet in an NBC special had to have earned her some drama queen points. She wasn't prone to fits of anger- but dealing with all of these supernatural creeps like Slayers and vampires had been trying her patience. She was annoyed that Mike was making decisions without consulting her; annoyed that nearly every moment was spent watching Joliene and Vicky.

She'd liked Vicky before, she was a sweet girl- but she'd become concerned that Vicky was changing. Lately she'd begun to feel inadequate- and worse, endangered- during those walks through cemeteries. That was why she'd brought that damned knife- but it wasn't the reason she was so upset. Everyone was changing around her and she hadn't coped with it properly- and now here she sat. Janna rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, uttering a prayer to a deity that she didn't believe in that she'd have a chance to… figure this out without a life or death experience in her future.


	5. Chapter 5: Go back

"How did one vampire kick all of our asses?" Joliene grumbled, inspecting her forearm with feigned disgust. The night before it had been scrapped bloody, let today fresh pink skin had stolen across the wound. The unexpected boon knotted her stomach, calling up the blonde's claim that they healed faster than before. Did that mean that a knife in the gut was a minor discomfort? How else had she changed? Forcing herself not to dwell on it, she tuned in to hear Mike worrying about Janna's whereabouts.

"Yeah, that's not like her." Vicky agreed from the couch. "But neither are spaz attacks."

"Point taken." Mike said awkwardly, which led to a long, awkward pause. With a roll of her eyes, Joliene hopped to her feet.

"So, anyway. We should find that bitch and pummel the hell out of her- and the blonde, too- she strike anyone else as weird?"

"She was just stabbed." Ashley put in. "That leads to weirdness- and you don't mean to pummel Kendra, do you? I mean, she's part of your Slayer thing."

"Our weird with a beard club." Vicky corrected warmly. "So, let's vamoose."

"I don't think she bought your story." Vicky jibed her brother as the administrator of the youth home hustled away from them. "I mean, I get that you do practicals- but taking high school kids along on your practicals don't make much sense."

"I need so many credits." Mike maintained. "So much for trying to convince Robbins this is an actual sociologic relevance."

"Displaced Slayers?" Ashley suggested. "The new up and coming phenomenon."

"What did you say?" The four turned to discover that a harried looking man was standing beside them. He appeared to be in his late thirties and was wearing a suit that looked better than any on sale at the Men's Warehouse. Cobalt colored eyes were intensely focused on Ashley, who was uncomfortable with realizing she'd been indiscreet. "Ahh… my friend was going to study the sociological impact of.. Slayer…"

"The band?" Joliene criticized "That's your cover-"

"Cover page not required." Vicky piped up, shooting Joliene a black look.

"Will you stop babbling? Any one with a bit of sense knows that you're talking about Slayers."

"Wha- how do you know?"

"I'm here to meet mine." He shifted, holding out a piece of paper in his hand. "Kendra Wiley. Are any of you-"

"No." Joliene replied shortly. "And yes."

The man stared at her blankly, obviously thinking that she was putting him on.

"Who are you?" Mike frowned, sizing up the newcomer.

"Person whose actually supposed to be here." The man spoke with an unflappable confidence.

"Name's Lex."

"As in Luthor?" Mike grasped.

"As in Caldwell. Idiot." Lex remarked disdainfully, regarding Mike coldly.

"Its just-"

"Yeah, woo- Superman. Moving on." Briskly, Lex sized up the women with Mike and spoke to the group. "I'm here looking for my Slayer and you're babbling about them where any Tom Dick and Harry can hear. Note- probably not a good idea, mmkay? Anyone of you Kendra?"

"Nope." Mike interjected, with a touch of an attitude. "So how do you know-"

"Why do you say mine like you own her?" Vicky cut across her brother unapologetically.

"Oh, its not propriety rights, dove. It's responsibility. Partnership. We're destined for each other along life's lonely paths- but not in a pervy way." He seemed to want to elaborate on how abrupt he'd modified that last bit- but his eyes focused on Vicky's.

"Hey now." His eyes slid over her sting, tracing along her cheekbones to bruises that had already healed.

"Haven't had that long, have you? Reckon you won't."

"Two steps back, England." Mike interposed himself between his sister and the newcomer, his frown prominent. "You need to work on improving your non – pervy ways."

"How come he cues in on her?" Joliene huffed. "I'm a helluva-"

"Jo!" Ashley warned, but the newcomer was laughing openly.

"No need to close ranks. I'm not the bogeyman. I train Slayers."

"We train." Mike responded, bristling with defensiveness.

"Do you." Lex responded smoothly. "Lets become best pals. Later after we surgically remove the stick lodged up your ass- so. Kendra. "

"She's gone apeshit since she was changed." Joliene explained, point blank.

"Called." Lex corrected, his eyes lighting on Joliene. "So, if she's not here-"

"We just found that out." Ashley explained, pulling out of glaring at Joliene. "She's chasing after a – truant."

"Clever girl." Lex said warmly, seeming pleased. "Shouldn't take long, its day."

"She hasn't seemed to pick up on that. Chasing them through cemeteries and all that hasn't clued her in…"

"Less clever." Lex deflated somewhat. "Shall we talk strategy?"

Mike's cell rang and he excused himself from the groups discussion of where Kendra might be looking. He returned a minute later, explaining "That was Janna's mom- she found Janna's purse on her porch last night, but she never knew Janna was there. She didn't come home last night, so I have to go."

"Oh, of course." Lex nodded his understanding. "I'd offer to come with you, but a twenty something year old women as opposed to a seventeen year old girl with no idea what's happening to her-"

"I get it." Mike said shortly. "Its nothing I can't handle."

"I'll come." Vicky offered.

While Mike and Vicky headed out to look for Janna, Ashley returned to Kendra's room. The room had the same vaguely peaches & cream color scheme as the other four bedrooms, making it feel like a college dorm as opposed to a home. As Ashley honed in on the wall above the bed, she noticed a collage of candid photos. One of them troubled her greatly as she snatched it from the wall and returned to the hall where Joliene stood alone. She explained Lex's absence in that he was pilfering Kendra's file. He returned mid sentence and midstride.

"-She's not visiting family. She doesn't have any. She was born to a drug addict in prison, whose since OD'd. Father unknown."

"Problem." Ashley broke in, flashing the photo she'd taken. Joliene saw the issue and swore, angry.

"What?" Lex questioned. "This is the vamp from the cemetery." Ashley's finger stabbed the smiling brunette girl posing with Kendra in the photo. "Kelly." She read the back of the photo. "This is from last year; I'm guessing they go back."

"Let's start lookin'." Joliene suggested. "Vamps hiding somewhere, but I bet Kendra's looking for her."

"You go on." Lex suggested, sounding distracted. "Meet at my place later."

The young women agreed and began loping towards downtown, leaving Lex staring down at the personal file.


	6. Chapter 6: This side of Weakness

**Janna**

Being kept somewhere unknown

"Comfy?" Janna twisted her neck to try to see behind her, but the speaker remained out of her sight. "Sissy doesn't want you to be _uncomfortable_." There was a low laugh that raised goose bumps on Janna's arms. The speaker stopped laughing and continued to talk conversationally to her captive. "She thinks you'll come around."

"Come around?" Janna ventured.

"To our way of thinking." The speaker stepped in front of Janna and the lone bulb backlit her well. It was Kelly in a frightful state, blood beginning to dry at the corner of her mouth and those damned eyes boring through Janna.

"You won't." Kelly stated flatly. "You're just a tease, getting a rise out of how much Kendra likes you. But I'm onto you-" Her finger jabbed at Janna's chest accusingly.

"-so I'm going to take care of you for her."

Janna focused on taking deep breaths to keep from panicking at the ominous turn this conversation was taking. "Stupid."

Kelly hissed, her cold hand trailing don Janna's cheek and coming to a rest on Jenna's neck. "I can hear your heartbeat."

That fact and Kelly's hand encircling her neck made her body betray her as Janna's heart rate skyrocketed. Kelly laughed coldly, retracting her hand as she stepped out of Janna's sight.

"Stop freaking out. It's not going to be up to you when you die. You're not good enough for our Family, but Kendra-" Kelly lapsed into silence for a moment. The moment drew longer as Janna turned her head, trying to determine if Kelly was still there. The darkness of her holding place was so thick it was like a blanket, cloaking everything not immediately near Janna. It was a bit disconcerting knowing that the bare bulb was placed just so that she was bathed in light while everything else was dark. She may have fallen off one or twice during the night, but her eyes felt light sandpaper from lack of sleep. Her nerves were beyond frayed, promoted to somewhere where every sound or touch sent chills of exhilaration or dread down her spine.

There was a scrapping sound just then- sounding as though it came from above. Janna wrenched her neck to look upwards, causing a shoot of pain to flare in her abused neck. She listened in silence for a handful of heartbeats, before hearing the report of a slamming door above her. _Someone was there! _

"Hello?" She shouted. Ignoring that she probably should make sure someone was there before she got her hopes up; she began to shout in earnest. "Please help me!"

"Someone there?" A man's voice trailed down to her, strumming hope to well up. "Yes!" Janna shouted her answer. "Please, help me! I've been abducted! I'm tied up down here!"

She fell silent, straining to hear a reply. Nothing. No! Desperate, she began to flail desperately. She discovered that if she braced her legs and bucked her back, she could make the chair hop across the floor, making a fantastic scrapping sound.

"Please, help! They're going to kill me!"

"You in here?" The voice sounded closer now, as though it was in the next room. Now that she could hear him better, she pegged him as younger, closer to her own age sight unseen.

"Yes! Over here! Please hurry." To her shock, she discovered that tears were streaking down her cheeks. From relief or desperation, she couldn't tell why her throat was constricting as she began to sob. "Please, hurry…"

Her cries were answered as a man's gruff hands felt along her own, gripping at the ropes that bound her.

"Shit, who done this to you?"

"Please, just untie me before they get back." Janna felt immediately petty and ungrateful that one of her first thoughts was his uneducated manner of speech. She could feel his hands grip her hands as he began working on the knots. "Thank you. Thank you…"

"Yes, thank you Janna." Chills made her veins leaden as Janna flailed in her chair. "No!" She screamed as she recognized the voice not as the man's, but as the vicious vampire, Kelly. She had returned.

"Run!" She screamed at her would be rescuer. "Dammit, get out of here!"

"Where'd you come from?" The man wondered, confused. "You been back there all 'long? Why didn't you help this girl?"

"RUN!" Janna screamed at him, her voice straining from the effort.

"Oh, I'll help her. But first, you-"

"No."

Janna wept uncontrollably as guilt and despair flooded through her. She bucked her legs, desperately trying to free herself before her inarticulate would be rescuer was killed. Her rescuer hadn't managed to untie the ropes, but they had loosened somewhat. There were sounds of a scuffle somewhere behind her. It sounded brutal and quick, terrifying Janna in how she couldn't hear anything from the guy at all. Soon, too soon – she could see his feet approaching from her peripheral vision.

"No, forget about me, just run-" She began when the rest of the young man came into view. Kelly was dragging his lifeless body by one arm and deposited the body on the ground coldly, with no emotion. His sightless eyes stared upwards.

"Oh God." Janna began to wheeze, guilt stampeding through her. Her own brown eyes were anchored into his dead ones, a myriad of emotions making her incapable of speech. Unfortunately Kelly was as she leaned over; speaking with the dead guy's blood dabbled on her lips.

"Thank you, Janna. I couldn't have done it without you."

A door slammed above and Janna choked out a sob. Quitting the cellar, Kelly ascended the stairs to meet her sister with confidence. "I knew you were wrong about her." She greeted smugly, forgoing hellos. Binging Kendra up to speed, Kelly was incensed at how Kendra didn't share her belief that Janna was too weak to join them.

"She'll Change." Kendra insisted, "I did. You did. We were different people before we were Changed- disillusioned, lost..."

"All we had were each other." Kelly replied tightly, feeling threatened. "It was enough."

"It was." Kendra soothed, seeing the edge in Kelly's eyes. She moved closer, taking her sister into her arms with a hug.

"I'm not saying that Janna's going to replace you, Kel. She never could. Please understand that." Kendra pulled back to look into Kelly's eyes which had faded to their deep cerulean blue. "I'm saying that I'm planning great things for us- and we'll need more than four hands to get the job done."

"Alright…" Kelly accepted, looking downstairs. "Just not her. Please."

"You're serious about this." Kendra said slowly, following Kelly's gaze. "You're opinion means a lot to me. If it means this much to you…"

"It does." Kelly insisted. "We'll find somebody worthy together. I've already thought of someone-"

"Have you?" Kendra's voice was low, a dangerous tone. Kelly immediately realized the conversation had shifted and back peddled. "Thought of someone that I'd like to offer for consideration." She amended clumsily, guilt written across her face.

Kendra stepped away from Kelly, staring down towards where the captive was. "I'll think about it." She said shortly, her abrupt manner wounding Kelly. "Try to make sure no one stumbles in again, would you?"

The door slammed shut before Kelly could reply. She stared after it open mouthed for a minute, before it closed into an awful scowl.

"Hello?" Janna ventured weakly as she head footsteps on the stairs. It had been at least ten hours since she'd had anything to drink, and the crying had dehydrated her even further. She twitched from her awkward position on the floor, unable to see who was in the room with her. "Kendra?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh, you wish it was her, don't you?" Kelly snarled, lifted Jenna up off of the floor by her arm. Jenna cried out as Kelly flung her- slamming her back into the nearby wall. The wood fractured from the force of Kelly's anger, causing Janna to fall to the floor unsupported.

"Please, don't-"

"Please don't." Kelly mimicked nastily, advancing on Janna. Janna kept her back to the wall as she backed away. "You're so _weak_. You don't _deserve_ to be a part of our family; you shouldn't even waste air out there-"

Jenna's shoe edged against something soft. Looking down, she'd realized she'd stepped besides the dead stranger's outstretched eyes. Seeing his open eyes, remembering how he'd died- Jenna steeled herself as she stretched down to the floor for what she needed.

Suddenly Kelly was there, gripping Jenna's shoulders so hard the ache seemed to go down to the bone. "- so you're gonna die right here!"

Kelly leaned forward, her fangs scratching Jenna's neck-

"AAAAAUGH!" Janna screamed as she shoved her makeshift stake forward. It missed the heart completely, but Kelly lurched to the side as she drew it out.

"You little-"

The stake fell harmlessly to the ground as Kelly leaped for Jenna, smashing her against the wall. Jenna's sight wavered as Kelly smashed her head against the wall, snarling angrily. Jenna hung on for a moment longer, but her world disappeared as everything went black.


End file.
